Cabinet door structure

ABSTRACT

A cabinet door structure having a plurality of slats attached together with flexible material on the back side thereof similar to tambour doors and having a flexible and stretchable removably attached decorative cloth covering the front of the slats. The door includes means for attaching the decorative front cover including cylindrical headed pins with pointed ends passing through the decorative cover into the ends of the slats. The pinheads form the guides for sliding in channels in the cabinet structure. The decorative cover has a predetermined amount of stretch in order to follow the slats over a curved path.

0 United States Patent 1191 1111 3,870,391

Nims 1 1 Mar. 11, 1975 541 CABINET DOOR STRUCTURE 3,031,013 4/1962 Russell, 160/201 x 3,084,403 4/1963 El (1 f 160 231 R 1 lnvemorl Vemm Nlms, 2124 Pme 3,330,611 7/1967 3 12/297 Orlando, Fla. 32805 [22] Filed: Aug. 20, 1973 Primary E.\'aminerJames T. McCall [21] Appl. No: 390,004 Attorney, Agent, or FirmDuckworth, Hobby & Allen 521 U.S. Cl. 312/297, 160/230 1571 ABSTRACT I [51] Int. Cl E06b 9/08 A abinet door structurehaving a plurality of sluts 1 Field of Search-w- 0/231 R. 231 tached together with flexible material on the back side 160/2 G- 5; 217/62, 63; thereof similar to tambour doors and having a flexible 6 /1 63 and stretchable removably attached decorative cloth covering the front of the slats. The door includes 1 1 References Cited means for attaching the decorative front cover includ- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing cylindrical headed pins with pointed ends passing 680,100 6/1901 Wilson 160/231 R through the deeomive Cover into the ends of the slats- 5 02}; 41/1928 312/297 X The pinheads form the guides for sliding in channels in 1,944,696 1/1934 Reichl 160/231 R the cabinet structure. The decorative cover has a pre- 2,281,031 4/1942 Francey 1 160/231 R determined amount of stretch in order to follow the 2,667,218 1/1954 Collins 160/230 X slats ver a curved path, 2,766,822 10/1956 Potter 312/297 UX 2,803,297 8/1957 Wenke 160/230 X 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED NARI 1 I975 sum 1 952 PAIENIEBM 1 I915 3.870.391

sum 2 at 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to cabinet and all furniture structures having integral tambour doors but having removable front decorative cloth covers for the doors.

In the past there have been a great variety of cabinet doors including the commonly hinged doors which allow one-piece solid doors to swing out from the cabinets. Another commonly used door is a solid door with slide-in tracks and sometimes used in pairs where one door can slide front of the other to open up a particular space within a cabinet. One prior door includes tambour or slat doors having a plurality of wooden slats attached together with a cloth on the back side held thereto by an adhesive so that the slats line up parellel and next to each other. The slats are allowed to ride in grooved tracks or channels and by the flexible binding of the slats together allows the slats to follow a curved track to pass around the side and back of the cabinets. Tambour doors are generally finished on the front side and may be angled or shaped so as not to provide a decorative pattern, and also to avoid displaying obviously poor workmanship. Much finer tambour doors can be made in which a plurality of strips are cut parallel to each other and line up so as when closed have the appearance of one solid piece of wood.

The present invention utilizes the principal of tambour doors but utilizes plastic slats inasmuch as they will never be in view of the public because of a decorative covering and also utilized special guides for the slats to make it ride easier in the grooves which guides are simultaneously used to movably attach the decorative front cloths. The decorative front cover is made possible by new weaves and fabrics which allows decorative cloth with sufficient stretch to expand around the front of the slats while riding on a curved track without having to use more expensive and less decorative elastic or rubber-like materials.

It has been suggested in the past to utilize roll shade coverings for doors, and the like, in which the shades are rolled on a roller similar to those that are commonly used for window coverings, which can be pulled down by engaging a stiffening member at one end to cover a portion or all of an opening. In contrast, the present invention provides a cabinet door that provides unusual decoration but which may be changed by the owner without great expense when redecorating a room or when the covers become sufficiently soiled or damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A cabinet door structure is provided in which a cabinet or furniture structure has an opening for a door with a pair of guide tracks or channels attached to the cabinet structure for guiding a flexible door therein. A plurality of slats are attached parallel to each other by flexible material attached with adhesive to the back of the slats, and can slide in the guide channels to form a door which is movable through the channels to cover and uncover the opening in the cabinet structure. A flexible and stretchable front door covering material is attached over the front of the slats and wraps around the two end slats and is attached to the back thereof and wraps around the ends of all slats and is attached with nylon pins having cylindrical or specially designed heads for riding in the guide channels in a manner to avoid damaging the front covering materials and also to allow easy removal by unpinning the edges of the slats. The front cover material must have sufficient stretch or elasticity to expand for the outside edge of the slats when going around a curved portion of a particular radius and still provide a taut looking front for the cabinet door.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a study of the written description and the drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view with portions cut away to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the door portion of the cabinet structure with portions removed of the door portion of the cabinet structure;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the door;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the pins and guide members.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of a cabinet structure 10 which might be used for kitchen cabinets, furniture, or the like, is shown in perspective having a .door structure 11 which rides in a pair of grooved tracks or channels 12 located inside cabinet 10. Cabinet 10 has side walls 13 and a top wall 14 and a bottom 15 along with a front wall 16 having an open ing therein and parallel channels 12 being formed in plastic members 17 attached to the front wall 16 and curving up along the bottom of the top wall 14 and around a portion of a back wall 18. The cabinet has a shelf 20 illustrated therein. The door portion 11 has a decorative screen 21 over the front thereof which is attached over a plurality of slats 22 which may be elongated plastic or wooden strips or slats which are flexibly attached parallel with the flexible material or cloth 23 attached to the back thereof with adhesive or the like. The handle 24 attaches through the decorative cloth 21 and to one of the slats 22 such as by screws passing through the slats into the handle 24 and the decorative cloth 21 is wrapped around the front or end slat 25 and attached to the rear thereof with staples or glue. The opposite endof the decorative cover 21 is attached around the rear or end slat 26 and attached thereto with staples or glue. Both sides of the decorative cover 21 are wrapped over the edges of the slats 22 and have pins 27 pinned therethrough to hold decorative cover 21 taut with a pin 27 placed in the end of the slats 22. Pin 27 has a cylindrical head 28 made of nylon-plastic, which could be of other shapes or other materials as desired, but are adapted to ride in the channels 12 for the door structure 11 to follow the channels 12 in opening and closing the door in the cabinet 10. This prevents the decorative material 21 from becoming frayed at the ends and also alllows for an easier, smoother operation of the door 11 while providing a relatively easy means for removing the material 21.

It should be pointed out at this point that the mate rial 21 must be a stretchable material with sufficient stretch to accomplish the curves in the channels 12 as the door unit passes up near the top 14 and back 18 of the cabinet structure 10 since each slat is bending on a radius point at the attachment to the material 23 to form an angle when passing around an are which stretches the total length of the material from the first slat 25 to the last slat 26. If the material could not stretch, it would not remain taut over the slats, but at present decorative materials can be obtained in double-knit fabrics or polyester, or the like, which can stretch sufficiently to accomplish the cover for the door.

FIGS. 2 and 3 more clearly illustrate the operation of the door 11 having a plurality of slats 22 attached in parallel to a piece of material 23 with an adhesive on one side and being covered with a decorative material 21 on the other side which is not attached to the front of the slats 22 so that they may be easily stretched as well as removed from the front of the slats 22. Handle 24 is illustrated on the front and a plurality of door guide pins 27 have cylindrical heads 28 exposed in these views for attaching the material 21 which augurs for the easy removal thereof, as well as acting as guides for maintaining the door unit 11 in the tracks 12 (FIG. 1).

FIG. 4 illustrates pin unit 27 having a cylindrical head 28 for guiding in the grooves 12 of FIG. 1 and having a nylon point 30, which could be metal if desired, protruding therefrom for passing through the decorative cover 21 of FIGS. 1 to 3 and to the end of the slats 22 and an annular ledge 31 can be utilized to prevent the edge of the cloth 21 from rubbing against the sides of the channel 12.

It should be clear to those skilled in the art at this point that the present cabinet door structure can be inexpensively manufactured inasmuch as the slats 22 can be made of inexpensive material since they are not visible to a user. Highly decorative patterns can be utilized in the covering cloth 21 to brighten up a kitchen or room and such cloth can be readily changed or removed for cleaning without replacing the entire cabinet structure and doors moving vertically, it may be desirable to include magnetic latches to hold the doors in open position, and this is anticipated as being within the scope of the invention. This invention, however, is not be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed herein since these are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

I claim:

1. A cabinet door structure comprising in combination:

a. a cabinet structure having an opening therein for a door;

b. a pair of guide channels attached to said cabinet structure for guiding a door therein and having curved portions;

c. a plurality of slats adapted to follow said guide channels to form a flexible door frame to cover said opening in said cabinet structure;

d. flexible backing material attached to said slats to hold said slats together in a flexible manner in spaced relationship to each other; and

e. flexible and stretchable front door covering material removably attached over the front of said slats held together by said flexible backing material and over spaces between said slats to form a decorative front for said flexible door frame whereby said door structure can slide in said pair of guide chambers to cover and uncover the opening in said cabinet structure.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said plurality of slats have guide members attached in each end thereof to ride in said guide channels to guide said door during opening and closing.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said guide members are cylindrical members having back therein for holding and cylindrical members in said slats.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which said guide members attach said flexible and stretchable front door covering material to the ends of said slats whereby removal of said guide members allows said first door covering to be removed and changed.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which said flexible and stretchable front door cover material is attached around each end slat of said plurality of slats.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in which a handle is attached to one said slat.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said flexible front door covering is a double knit decorative cloth.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which said slats are elongated flat plastic members having said flexible backing material attached thereto with adhesive.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said pair of guide channels extend from either side of said cabinet structure top and along a portion of the back of said cabinet structure.

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1. A cabinet door structure comprising in combination: a. a cabinet structure having an opening therein for a door; b. a pair of guide channels attached to said cabinet structure for guiding a door therein and having curved portions; c. a plurality of slats adapted to follow said guide channels to form a flexible door frame to cover said opening in said cabinet structure; d. flexible backing material attached to said slats to hold said slats together in a flexible manner in spaced relationship to each other; and e. flexible and stretchable front door covering material removably attached over the front of said slats held together by said flexible backing material and over spaces between said slats to form a decorative front for said flexible door frame whereby said door structure can slide in said pair of guide chambers to cover and uncover the opening in said cabinet structure.
 1. A cabinet door structure comprising in combination: a. a cabinet structure having an opening therein for a door; b. a pair of guide channels attached to said cabinet structure for guiding a door therein and having curved portions; c. a plurality of slats adapted to follow said guide channels to form a flexible door frame to cover said opening in said cabinet structure; d. flexible backing material attached to said slats to hold said slats together in a flexible manner in spaced relationship to each other; and e. flexible and stretchable front door covering material removably attached over the front of said slats held together by said flexible backing material and over spaces between said slats to form a decorative front for said flexible door frame whereby said door structure can slide in said pair of guide chambers to cover and uncover the opening in said cabinet structure.
 2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said plurality of slats have guide members attached in each end thereof to ride in said guide channels to guide said door during opening and closing.
 3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said guide members are cylindrical members having back therein for holding and cylindrical members in said slats.
 4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which said guide members attach said flexible and stretchable front door covering material to the ends of said slats whereby removal of said guide members allows said first door covering to be removed and changed.
 5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which said flexible and stretchable front door cover material is attached around each end slat of said plurality of slats.
 6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in wHich a handle is attached to one said slat.
 7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said flexible front door covering is a double knit decorative cloth.
 8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which said slats are elongated flat plastic members having said flexible backing material attached thereto with adhesive. 